Lorrene Ritchie, founding director of the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, will be retiring from her role as director on July 1, 2025. Ritchie, a first-generation college student, has made a lasting impact on the field of public health nutrition research through her studies of a wide range of nutrition programs, from universal school meals to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC. In a UC ANR news story honoring Ritchie's impactful work, a long-time collaborator, Mary Story, professor in family medicine and community health at Duke University School of Medicine, had this to share: “Lorrene’s work has always had public health impact. She is one of the top public-health nutrition leaders and scholars in the country.”
After her formal retirement, Ritchie said she plans to wrap up her outstanding research projects, spend more time with family and stay engaged in the public-health nutrition space. She is especially interested in working on ways to ensure the latest research is translated to effective policy – and that the “best and brightest minds” continue to choose public health nutrition and see the immense value and rewards of an academic career. “Nurturing and leading with love and embracing diversity and enjoying who you work with – as much as what you work on – are all part of what makes this work really fulfilling,” Ritchie said. “Words are not enough to thank all the wonderful people I have learned from over the years; public health nutrition is really a team sport and I have had the privilege of being on some of the best teams.”
People interested in supporting Ritchie's legacy and the ongoing work in public health and nutrition can donate to the Nutrition Policy Institute’s Student Internship, which provides students from underrepresented groups the opportunity to work on NPI research and be mentored by NPI researchers.